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Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Newsletter: August 2024

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Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Newsletter: August 2024

Message From the Chair

Welcome to the August issue of the Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Newsletter!

As the new chair of the Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Department, I am thrilled to share the latest developments and exciting changes within our department. It's been just over a month since I stepped into this role, and our faculty and I see this transition as a golden opportunity to re-imagine and enhance our programs for the benefit of our students. We remain committed to providing an outstanding in-person experiential teaching experience, coupled with rich undergraduate and graduate research opportunities.

Over the summer, we were delighted to welcome Dr. Nick Tepylo, Dr. Chamara Herath, and Mr. Alex Jodoin to our faculty. Their expertise and enthusiasm are great additions to our team, and we eagerly anticipate the innovative contributions they will bring in the coming year.

In August, we are hosting several candidates for tenure-track positions in both Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. We invite all our readers to attend these seminars and share your valuable insights and opinions, as they are crucial to shaping the future of our department.

We are also excited to announce that a Clarkson team has been selected by NASA to compete in a challenge aimed at improving our capabilities for operating on the Moon, Mars and other planets. Additionally, we celebrate the honors received by our faculty members and alumni, which you can read about in this issue.

Finally, please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Warm regards,

Marcias Martinez
Professor & Chair, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Department

Clarkson Team Selected By NASA

Earth is positioned on the left of a graphic with a starry sky background on which is written Autonomy Augmented Unnamed Technology Operating in Navigating Objects of Mining Yield, under which is the logos for NASA and RASC-AL, along with the flags of the U.S., Australia and UAE, as well as logos for Clarkson University, RMIT University and Khalifa University

A Clarkson team was selected as a finalist to compete in one of NASA’s longest-running student challenges: the Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts – Academic Linkage (RASC-AL) competition. The competition fuels innovation and challenges teams to develop new concepts to improve our ability to operate on the Moon, Mars and beyond.
Read More About The Competition

Professor Is Top-10 Volunteer

Portrait of Craig Merrett holding a crystal plaque next to a large fan connected to a wind tunnel

Associate Professor of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Craig Merrett has been recognized by Pathful Connect as one of its Top-10 Volunteers for 2023. Pathful Connect is an educational service provider that connects K-12 classrooms in remote or underserved areas with industry professionals across the country.
Read More About Pathful Connect
 

Mastorakos on Committee

Chest-up portrait of Ioannis Mastorakos in blue button-up sweater and checkered, open-collar shirt

Associate Professor of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Ioannis Mastorakos has been appointed a voting member of the Minerals, Metals & Materials Society Structural Materials Division Council. Council members work on the science and engineering of load-bearing materials.
Read More About This Appointment
 

Honorary Degree for MechE Alum

Hunter Peckham stands at a podium in regalia as he speaks to an audience not pictured

Mechanical Engineering alumnus P. Hunter Peckham '66, co-director of the MetroHealth Rehabilitation Institute at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, was awarded an honorary doctor of science degree at Clarkson's spring commencement.
Read More About Hunter Peckham
 

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Lewis School of Health & Life Sciences Newsletter: August 2024

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Lewis School of Health & Life Sciences Newsletter: August 2024

Message From the Founding Dean

Welcome to the August edition of our Earl R. and Barbara D. Lewis School of Health and Life Sciences Newsletter! This month, we bring you news of a New York State grant to support our researchers in monitoring two invasive aquatic watermilfoil species here in upstate New York. We also share stories about two faculty promotions and a longtime faculty member who has been named professor emeritus. As well, we have other news from campus, including Clarkson's STARS Gold rating in recognition of its sustainability achievements. Please enjoy reading about our faculty and staff, and have a great rest of your summer!

— Lennart Johns, Founding Dean of Health and Life Sciences

Aquatic Invasive Species Research

From left, one man and two women who work on Milfoil monitoring research, stand and smile for a photo inside a laboratory

Associate Professor and Chair of Biology Stefanie Kring is among three Clarkson researchers who have been awarded a grant by New York State's Department of Environmental Conservation to monitor two invasive aquatic watermilfoil species in Upstate New York. The research team will study Eurasian watermilfoil in Goose Bay and broadleaf watermilfoil in Norwood Lake.
Read About This Award
 

Brittany DiSalvo Promoted

Chest-up portrait of Brittany DiSalvo is a white and purple flowered shirt

Brittany DiSalvo has been promoted from clinical assistant professor to clinical associate professor of occupational therapy. DiSalvo’s research has focused on exploring effective stress management strategies for first-year occupational therapy students and enhancing students' engagement in interprofessional collaboration within the academic setting.
Read More About Prof. DiSalvo
 

Legault Named Chair

head shot of Lisa Legault

Lisa Legault has been promoted from associate professor to full professor of psychology and named chair of the Department of Psychology. Legault researches the role of motivation in positive social behavior. She uses behavioral, self-report, and neurophysiological indicators to understand the mechanisms involved in behavior change.
Read More About Prof. Legault
 

Zeigler Named Professor Emeritus

Shoulders-up portrait of Stacey Zeigler in a purple jacket and black shirt

Clinical Professor of Physical Therapy Stacey Zeigler has been named professor emeritus for 21 years of exemplary service to the University with the majority of these years in formal healthcare leadership and administrative roles. A licensed physical therapist and a board-certified geriatric clinical specialist, Zeigler brings 30 years of clinical experience to her students.
Read More About Prof. Zeigler
 

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Electrical & Computer Engineering Newsletter: August 2024

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Electrical & Computer Engineering Newsletter: August 2024

Message From the Chair

Welcome to the August issue of the Electrical & Computer Engineering Newsletter! In this issue, we share the news of a prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER Award for one of our faculty members. We also fill you in on an interesting project in rural communities, a promotion for one of our longtime professors and an environmental honor for the entire University. I hope you enjoy reading about our department. Have a great rest of your summer!

— Paul McGrath, Chair/Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering

Jiang Receives NSF CAREER Award

Shoulders-up portrait of Leo Jiang in a light blue, open-collar shirt

Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Yazhou “Leo” Jiang has been awarded the National Science Foundation CAREER Award for his research  “Managing uncertainties in renewable powered grids.” The most prestigious award in support of early-career faculty will support Jiang’s integrated research and education activities with $500,000 over five years. 
Read About This Award


 

Pop-up Traffic Garden

Five students pose for a photo in high-visibility vests on an outdoor basketball court with various traffic cones in the background

Associate Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering Mahesh Banavar is part of a team collaborating to help research traffic gardens in rural communities. This spring, the Clarkson Construction Engineering Management Consulting Group launched a pop-up traffic garden to provide a safe and interactive environment for children and adults to learn traffic safety.
Read More About This

Chen Liu Promoted to Professor

Shoulders-up portrait of Chen Liu in a grey sports jacket and black shirt

Chen Liu has been promoted from associate professor to full professor of electrical and computer engineering. Liu joined Clarkson in 2012, was promoted to associate professor in 2018 and led the computer engineering program's ABET reaccreditation in 2021.
Read More About Chen Liu
 

STARS Gold Rating for Sustainability

AASHE Stars Logo in gold

Clarkson has earned a STARS Gold rating in recognition of its sustainability achievements from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education. Clarkson includes sustainability in almost all of our degree programs.
Read More About STARS
 

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Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Newsletter: August 2024

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Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Newsletter: August 2024

Message From the Chair

Welcome to the August issue of the Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Newsletter. This month we share news of a special issue of the Electrochemical Society (ECS) Journal of Solid State Science and Technology, which will honor one of our emeritus professors and be led by a current faculty member. We also have details on awards received at this summer's Alumni Reunion by two of our Chemical Engineering alumni. I hope you enjoy reading these stories as well as some other timely news from around campus. Please enjoy the rest of your summer!

— Elizabeth Podlaha-Murphy, Professor/Chair of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering

Seo to Lead Journal Issue

Close-up of Jihoon Seo in black, open-collared shirt.

Prof. Jihoon Seo will lead the Electrochemical Society (ECS) Journal of Solid State Science and Technology in publishing a focus issue honoring Professor Emeritus S.V. Babu. Seo will lead a team of guest editors from companies like Intel, Micron, Applied Materials, Ebara and Entegris in the focus issue, which will be published to celebrate Babu’s 80th birthday.
Read About This Issue

ChemEng Alum Receives Golden Knight Award

Four men standing in front of a Clarkson backdrop holding glass awards.

Chemical Engineering alumnus Kenneth Lally ’79 was one of four alumni who received the Golden Knight Award during Reunion Weekend in June. Clarkson’s most prestigious alumni award is given to alumni who have distinguished themselves either by service to Clarkson through Alumni Association activities or have demonstrated outstanding career achievement, bringing distinction to themselves and Clarkson.
Read About This Award
 

Woodstock Award for ChemEng Alum

Victoria Ballestero (in black dress) and Bryan Greene (in blue sports jacket, black pants and a blue open-collared shirt) pose against a Clarkson backdrop holding their Woodstock Awards.

Chemical Engineering alumnus Bryan Green '04 was among four alums who received the Woodstock Award during Reunion Weekend in June. The award honors young alumni who have demonstrated outstanding loyalty and service to Clarkson and the Alumni Association and who have used their Clarkson experience to make a notable contribution to their careers.
Read More About This Award
 

STARS Gold Rating for Sustainability

AASHE Stars Logo in gold

Clarkson has earned a STARS Gold rating in recognition of its sustainability achievements from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education. Clarkson includes sustainability in almost all of our degree programs.
Read More About STARS
 

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Civil & Environmental Engineering Newsletter: August 2024

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Civil & Environmental Engineering Newsletter: August 2024

Message From the Chair

Welcome to the August issue of the Civil & Environmental Engineering Newsletter! This month we share news of multiple NSF awards for our faculty and take a look at an innovative method of PFAS mitigation that one of our professors published in a sister journal of Nature. We also review some honors for our students, faculty and the University. Please enjoy reading this news from our department, where we believe our students and faculty can design a better world for future generations through enriching experiences and groundbreaking research.

— Steven Wojtkiewicz, Professor/Chair of Civil & Environmental Engineering

Rapid-Setting Cement

Close-up of Robert Thomas in a checkered sports jacket and a blue, open-collared shirt.

Assistant Professor Robert Thomas has been awarded a nearly $600,000 grant from the National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) for research on the long-term durability properties of belitic calcium sulfoaluminate (BCSA) cement, which has a lower carbon footprint than Portland cement, and sets and gains strength quickly.
Read About This Grant
 

Arctic Research

Shoulders up portrait of Suguang Xiao in black suit coat and red tie with white dots

Assistant Professor Suguang Xiao has received a National Science Foundation Engineering Research Initiation award to study deep structural foundations in permafrost. The $200,000 grant will fund research on how vibrations from earthquakes impact pile foundations, which are being affected by changes in soil properties from increasing temperatures.
Read About This Research
 

Sensor for Harmful Algal Blooms

Shoulders-up portrait of Siwen Wang in gray jacket and white shirt

Assistant Professor Siwen Wang has been awarded a National Science Foundation Engineering Research Initiation grant to develop a rapid and sensitive biosensor for harmful algal blooms (HABs). HABs caused by cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) exhibit enormous threats to human health, animals and aquatic ecosystems. The economic impact of HABs is also significant.
Read More About HABs

Innovative PFAS Mitigation

Shoulders-up close-up of Yang Yang in light blue open-collared shirt.

Assistant Professor Yang Yang has published research in Nature Water, a sister journal of Nature focusing on water sustainability. Yang's team developed an innovative non-thermal, cost-effective method of near-complete defluorination and mineralization of PFAS in various types of wastewater.
Read About This Research

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Center for Advanced Materials Processing Newsletter: August 2024

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Center for Advanced Materials Processing Newsletter: August 2024

Message From the Director

In this month's Center for Advanced Materials Processing Newsletter, we report on our 2024 CAMP Annual Technical Meeting, held this spring in nearby Clayton. We are also pleased to announce that Assistant Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Jihoon Seo will lead the Electrochemical Society (ECS) Journal of Solid State Science and Technology in publishing an issue honoring S.V. Babu. As well, we share news and honors for our CAMP-affiliated faculty. I hope you enjoy reading about CAMP, one of 15 New York State-funded Centers of Advanced Technology that make it their mission to assist industry with technological challenges.

— Devon Shipp, Director of CAMP, Professor of Chemistry & Biomolecular Science

Annual Technical Meeting

Three people pose in front of a vertical banner advertising the Center for Advanced Materials Processing.

The CAMP Annual Technical Meeting hosted more than 120 scientists, industry leaders, state economic development representatives and students. It featured presentations on aerospace and defense, colloidal materials, sustainable building materials, and emerging topics on computational modeling, as well as a research and technology showcase.
Read More About The Meeting
 

Journal Issue Honoring Babu

Close-up of Jihoon Seo in black, open-collared shirt.

Prof. Jihoon Seo will lead the Electrochemical Society (ECS) Journal of Solid State Science and Technology in publishing a focus issue honoring Professor Emeritus S.V. Babu. Seo will lead a team of guest editors from companies like Intel, Micron, Applied Materials, Ebara and Entegris in the focus issue, which will be published to celebrate Babu’s 80th birthday.
Read More About This Issue
 

Innovative PFAS Mitigation

Shoulders-up close-up of Yang Yang in light blue open-collared shirt.

Prof. Yang Yang has published research in Nature Water, a sister journal of Nature focusing on water sustainability. Yang's team developed an innovative non-thermal, cost-effective method of near-complete defluorination and mineralization of PFAS in various types of wastewater.
Read About This Research

Deep Tissue Imaging

Close-up portrait of Xiaocun Lu in white, open-collared shirt

Prof. Xiaocun Lu has been awarded an Engineering Research Initiation grant from the National Science Foundation, supporting his pioneering research to develop advanced biophotonic technology for deep tissue imaging. The technology could overcome the limitations of traditional imaging methods such as MRI, CT, and ultrasound imaging.
Read About This Grant
 

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Formula SAE Electric

SAE Clean Snowmobile

Arts, Culture and Technology Department - Faculty and Staff

Arts, Culture and Technology Department

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Department of Arts, Culture and Technology

Department of Arts, Culture and Technology

Discover the Creative, Culturally Significant Side of Innovation

Art, culture and technology power society’s collective advancements — including how we tell stories, design websites and video games, analyze data for research and curate museum exhibits. At the same time, understanding culture, politics, art, history, literature and social sciences empowers science, technology and business leaders to make a positive impact on the world.

The Department of Arts, Culture and Technology (ACT) enriches the overall Clarkson University experience and equips students to propel these outcomes. Clarkson undergraduates can select from numerous degree-complementing minors for a cross-disciplinary exploration of the arts, humanities and social sciences that helps them grow into professionals with a nuanced perspective on their work. From sociology and anthropology to digital arts and literature, ACT courses train students to become master problem solvers and communicators and prepare them to adapt to and lead a constantly changing world.

Do you seek to develop sustainable infrastructure, create more user-friendly software interfaces or conduct research that sheds light on the human condition? If so, learn more about the Department’s mission and role at Clarkson and all available programs and experiential opportunities.

Contact Us

Arts, Culture & Technology Department

actdept@clarkson.edu

315-268-4229

 

About ACT at Clarkson

Clarkson students build tomorrow’s world through their ideas and innovations. To graduate well-rounded professionals ready to tackle challenges from multiple angles, ACT courses emphasize the following:

Creative Thought

In conversations and debates, learn to defend your stance on artistic movements, films, theories, historical events, literature and other topics.

Interdisciplinary Scholarship

Clarkson students and faculty regularly bounce hypotheses off each other and delve into disciplinary overlap. Integral to a Clarkson education, ACT both explores the interconnectedness among the arts, humanities and social sciences and where these areas influence STEM, business and healthcare to power society’s creative endeavors and culture at large.

Small Class Sizes

No one is a number at Clarkson, and ACT classes illustrate this aspect of our campus. As you express your unique viewpoints, you’ll engage and develop connections with equally enthusiastic students and expert faculty-scholars.

Unconventional Classes

These intersections result in a number of courses found nowhere else — for example, in Wargaming, Demons and Witches, and American Political Ideas in Literature and Film — and expose students to both new and emerging media.

Attention Incoming Students!

Wondering about UNIV 190, the first-semester course required for all first-year students at Clarkson? 

This vital part of Clarkson’s Common Core aims to hone student skills in reading, writing, and critical thinking. UNIV 190 also provides you with an opportunity for small-sized, discussion-based classes on big-picture themes important to our daily lives outside the classroom.

Get more details here.

While we are not known for political science, I feel like we should be. The professors are outstanding, the coursework is interesting and there are so many opportunities on campus. College is absolutely what you make it.

Celia Darling ‘24

All Arts, Culture and Technology Minors

Anthropology
Communication
Digital Art
Gender and Sexuality Studies
History
Interdisciplinary Social Sciences
International and Cross-Cultural Perspectives
Literature and the Arts
Philosophy
Political Science
Sociology
War Studies
Science, Technology and Society

Featured Class: Wargaming

Gaming isn’t solely for enjoyment: it’s a novel way to learn about history and plays a role in modern military and defense strategies. Professor Alastair Kocho-Williams’ course covers this niche industry from all angles — evolution, principles, styles, formats and purpose — and requires students to design and test their own educational wargame.

About Wargaming at Clarkson

Experiential and Real-World Opportunities

See how your diverse interests work together to transform our immediate community and beyond.

Work as a Teaching or Research Assistant

A Clarkson education is all about doing while absorbing new information from established professionals. On campus, ACT students can serve as teaching assistants in discussion-based courses or serve as research assistants on cutting-edge scholarly projects.

New York State Assembly Internship Program

Get a front-row seat to the legislative process. Undergraduates accepted into the prestigious Session Internship directly participate in state government and are awarded a stipend plus a full semester of credit.
 

Intern at Local Museums

Museum exhibits start with curating artifacts and come to life through storytelling, often incorporating virtual reality and mobile technologies. As interns, ACT students get a behind-the-scenes look at this process and how communication, history, science and digital art can converge.

ACT Faculty Research

  • Ancient graffiti
  • Applied ethics
  • History of neurology
  • Literature of varied countries and cultures
  • New media installation art
  • Pedagogy of active learning
  • Russian and Soviet history
  • Social injustices in health
  • Teaching through gaming
  • Translation
     

Learn More about our Faculty

Play video

Mara’s Bold Leap: Creativity Meets Entrepreneurship

After graduating high school early, Mara embraced a pivotal shift: leaving behind studio art and stepping into the world of innovation and entrepreneurship at Clarkson University’s Reh School of Business.

At Clarkson, she found a community that values both creative thinking and practical business acumen — one that invited her to design, build and lead rather than simply follow. With hands-on learning, mentorship from faculty, and real challenges to tackle, Mara gained the confidence to chart her own future. 

Today, she is preparing for a career in interior design and entrepreneurship, proof that when you combine imagination with business innovation, bold outcomes follow. This video shares her journey, her moments of transformation and how you too can harness your creative strengths within a business framework.

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